#REPORTHATE

If you see a hate crime, report it. Report it locally and report it using this form at the Southern Poverty Law Center. The form is pretty specific--when did the incident take place? Where was it? (Place of work, place of worship, public park?). Even if you haven't seen a hate crime, check out their website. The SPLC has been fighting the good fight since forever and they're out there fighting it now. They have reported 400 incidents of "hateful harassment" since election day. That's 50 a day. That's unacceptable.

They don't just fight hate, they also fight for justice--social justice, economic justice. They're good guys and they could also use donations.

Free Science Fiction and Fantasy books

Instafreebie is at it again with a giveaway hosted by Dean F. Wilson. Check out all the goodies here.

30 Days of Etsy--Sweaty Wisdom

Sweaty Wisdom is a small Etsy shop run by Chris Emmer. You can find #girlboss and #feminist items for sale including this sassy mug for $16. (Because really, who can't use another mug? If only to leave it in the break room and blow people's minds.) Check out her shop here. You'll be suporting a woman-owned business.

Places that Need Your Money--ProPublica

If you're disgusted by biased media or frustrated that no one seems to be covering actual news, support non-partisan journalism with a donation to ProPublica. Their motto is, "Journalism in the public interest" and they take their mandate seriously. On their website you won't just see news of the day, they dig deep. Right now there's a story about the water crisis in the west that hits home to me. the last few years I lived in L.A. were lived under severe drought conditions. And the pictures are scary. They've also teamed up with the Virginian-Pilot (a newspaper from Norkfolk, VA) to report on Agent Orange's continuing effects and the ongoing fght for veterans to get their benefits.

30 Days of Etsy--Skyline Vintage

There are a lot of reasons for buying vintage. For one thing, you can find a lot of clothes made in America--remember the old commercial, "Look for the Union label?"--and if you're trying to make a stand against some of the more unsavory practices that keep "fast-fashion" cheap, buying vintage is a great option. There are a bazillion fashion shops on Etsy. Skyline Vintage is one of the newer ones. It's only been in business since this year, but if your taste is boho or retro grunge, you should definitely check it out. Prices aren't quite as enticing as in some other shops, but as the holidays approach, almost all the sellers offer great deals. I wear a lot of black and white (who doesn't?), so I'm always looking for ways to jazz things up. I'm particularly fond of graphicly interesting cardigan sweaters like this one. The color makes it particularly interesting.

A Magical Book Series to Embrace

Victor Kloss, author if The Royal Institute of Magic series, died last week after a bout of cancer. If you're a fan of books in the Harry Potter, Percy and the Olympians vein, you should definitely check out the series. (The first book has 511 reviews, with an average of 4.6 stars.)

Day 5 of the Resistance

I've voted for candidates who've lost elections before--John Kerry, for example. I've voted for candidates who won the popular vote but lost the election. In the very first election I was eligible to cast a ballot, I voted for George McGovern. McGovern ran on an anti-war platform but was handicapped by his "outsider" status and also by the scandal surrounding his VP pick, Thomas Eagleton. Nixon carried all but one state (and the District of Columbia, my birhplace). It was a spectcaular landslide.

This year, "outsider" turned out to be the keyword for voters. The idea of someone coning from outside the political system to  champion those who have felt dismissed by the Washington insiders, was appealing. But the problem is that Trump may not be part of the Washington power structure but he very much IS a part of the power structure that has contributed to income inequality. He is a membe rof the class that can exploit loopholes in order to avoid taxes. (I guarantee you that as a self-employed writer, I pay more taxes than Donald Trump after I've paid my self-employment tax, that double-tax penalty people get for being entrepreneurial without actually having an enterprise.)